To the layperson, those two concepts - Faith and Reason - present challenges. Personally having studied Philsophy (Love of Wisdom) and Theology (Study of God), I feel no problem with both of them to getting married. They are very compatible. In fact, there may truly be a love between them.
In September 15, 1998, Blessed John Paul II wrote his famous encyclical entitled "Fides et Ratio". It did impact the world just as Blessed John Paul II did very often in his life. Here is my favorite quote from his encyclical on the relationship between Faith and Reason:
"The function of reason is to find meaning, to discover explanations which might allow everyone to come to a certain understanding of the contents of faith. St. Anselm underscores the fact that the intellect must seek that which it loves: the more it loves, the more it desires to know...The desire for truth, therefore, spurs reason always to go further; indeed, it is as if reason were overwhelmed to see that it can always go beyond what it has already achieved. It is at this point, though, that reason can learn where its path will lead in the end.....The fundamental harmony between the knowledge of faith and the knowledge of philosphy is once again confirmed. Faith asks that its object be understerstood with the help of reason; and at the summit of its searching, reason acknowledges that it cannot do without what faith presents."
We cannot improve on those words. Blessed John Paul II Ph.D. was in Philsophy. He whole life was Theology. No one better that he can know the compatibility and marriageability of Faith and Reason.
I know an atheist who always presents to me the Reason is his god. He needs no other. What he misses to comprehend is that it is reasonable to believe in a God who has revealed Himself as "IAM WHO AM!" Seems that God affirms His existence in His own name. But the fundamental reason that atheists exists is that they do not really believe that Truth, in itself, exists. All the atheists I know are very dishonest in their arguments. They cannot speak truthfully because there is no deep truth in them. I am sure there are many sincere-searching-for-God atheists; but all the ones I have met and conversed with have a real problem speaking truthfully. The mind was created by God for Truth. Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" The Truth incarnate was standing before him. But he could not see the Truth. Pilate's wife could see the truth; she said,
"Have nothing to do with this just man." The Roman Centurian saw the Truth; and said: "Truly this man was the Son of God." But atheist today put up billboard next to Christmas signs. The atheists bill board says: "You know it is a myth!" Now this sentence contains two lies: the first is that believes do not know it is a myth because they believe the Christmas mystery to be the Truth. So, the atheist bill board assumes that someone who believe "knows" it is a "Myth." Secondly, they know that it is not a myth. They choose not to believe and comfort themselves that all believers believe in myths. So, atheists evangelize believers to come on their side. It is interesting that atheists did not evangelize a decade ago. This is relatively new phenomenon.
Of course Hitler wanted Poland to be a completely atheistic state because he knew that the strongest faith in God was in Poland. He did not evangelize Poles to not believe in God. No, he just killed them: 6 million of them during the Nazi occupation of Poland. He hated Jews because they believed in God as the Creator of all living things. If the Creator exists, then Hitler cannot tell Germany what their rights were under Hitler. The rights of all under God were a great threat to him. He wanted to rule the world without God. Atheists are badly mistaken. Some of them can be dangerous. For example, Dr. Jack Korvorkian was an athiest and helped people to die. That is dangerous; and in the Netherlands, 70% of the doctors have helped people to die with or without their consent. But there may be some hope for Dr. Karvorkian. He accepted a leather-bound bible from my hands and thanked me for it. He liked the inside flap inscription: "Dear Doctor, God loves you. When you realize what you have done is wrong, do not despair. God forgives you." When he read this, life came back into his cheeks. Prior he looked like a dead man: a cadaver upstraight. So, it is my hope that on or before he died this year, that he made peace with his God.
Faith and Reason are both given to us as gifts from God. They help one another. Even Albert Eistein had it right when he said: "Science without faith is blind. Faith without science is lame." He saw the mysteries of the universe to be mysteries that have God as their Creator and Intelligent Author written on the scholls of space.
So, his wisdom is actually an expression of his Faith. This also happens in today's Gospel reading of Mass: A Cananite woman asked Jesus for a cure of her daughter who has a demon. Jesus quotes a proverb: "It is not right to give the children's food to the dogs." She fires back her own faith-based proverb (wisdom): "Yes, but even the dogs east the scraps that fall from the Master's table." Jesus tells her: "Woman great is your faith. Let it be done as you wish!" Now, this is incredible. the woman and Jesus are bantering using proverbs. If you have read the Book of Proverbs, you know it contains a treasure of truth that seems to be based on Reason. All I have ever written in these proverbs, have been expressions of my Faith. In fact, today I am going to change "Pio's Blog" to "Pio's Proverbs". I never liked the word, "Blog" anyway. It does not seem to say what I wish to say. Words are precious and sacred to me. Let us pray!
Father in Heaven, help my Faith to appreciate and deepen my Reason. Help my Reason to appreciate and deepen my Faith. Give us the Wisdom to express our Faith in a way that pleases You. Amen. In Jesus' Name, I pray.
Love, Pio
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